Authors : Ajay Kumar Pandita, Dimple Raina, Tanya Arora, Puneet Ohri
DOI : 10.18231/j.pjms.2020.022
Volume : 10
Issue : 2
Year : 2020
Page No : 90-95
Introduction: In geriatric patients, urinary tract infections (UTIs) can pose quite a challenge to the treating
clinicians regarding the approach for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention as the patients frequently present
with symptoms which may be nonspecific and are associated with comorbid conditions.
Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to determine the frequency and specificity of the clinical features
of UTI in the geriatric group and their relationship with characteristics that define functional ability in them.
Materials and Methods: A total of 380 geriatric patients were recruited for the study. Associated
symptoms, isolation of recognized pathogen on culture and evidence of white blood cells in the urine
were taken as criteria for diagnosing UTI in these patients.
Results: Out of 380 patients recruited in our study 56.31% were males and 43.68% comprised of
females. Burning micturition was a predominant symptom in both males (66.8%) and females (72.2%).
Most common predisposing factor was diabetes mellitus in 61% of the geriatric population in our study.
Escherichia coli was the predominant organism isolated from specimens of 59.73% patients. Mortality rate
in our study was 10.26%. There was a significant association (P value <0>
and the mortality rate. Statistically significant high mortality rate was also seen in patients with chronic
kidney disease (P value <0>
Conclusion: Considering the potential for serious complications and mortality in the elderly patients
with UTI they should be clinically evaluated systematically specifying a necessity for prompt diagnostic
vigilance.
Keywords: Geriatric, Urinary tract infection, Evaluation, Diabetes mellitus, Mortality.